Preview

Near Death Experience

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2433 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Near Death Experience
Near Death Experience or Hallucination? There is a phenomenon that occurs in a large portion of our population, and it has mysterious origins and is often seen as a spiritual journey. It is called a near-death experience, or NDE. The people who have the experience know what they felt and saw, but there is no proof of the incident, and many skeptics have found explanations for the event and have argued with the prospect of a spiritual journey. Everyone in America has most likely heard of the usual story of a woman on her death bed seeing a white light and a kind looking person taking her hand and leading her down a long path toward the light, but what causes this experience and who is a likely candidate for receiving it? Could everyone who states that they are having a NDE really be near death and experiencing what they are seeing? Many people have changed their lives after being told that they are not done yet on earth, and they are sent back from their experience with a renewed sense of vigor that seems like a spiritual awakening. With such grand spiritual connotations, it is no wonder that people want to know the validity of the incident and whether they can experience one for themselves. Science and religion have often butted heads when it comes to spiritual matters, and there is no difference in this matter because many scientists have done a large amount of research on the topic of NDEs and they have found scientific explanations for the experience while those who actually go through it see it as entirely legitimate. Near death experiences have been happening to people since ancient times, and there have even been occurrences recorded in ancient Greece. In our country alone there is a recorded amount of about 3% of the population that say they have had a NDE, and that is simply in the U.S. It sounds like a small portion, but three percent of three hundred million is a lot, and the scientific community has taken notice, and they have studied who


References: Scientific Theories of the NDE. (2007). Retrieved from Near Death: http://www.near-death.com/experiences/experts01.html Choi, C. Q. (2011, September 12). Near-Death Experiences Explained by Science. Retrieved from Live Science: http://www.livescience.com/16019-death-experiences-explained.html Radford, B. (2011, September 23). Near-Death Experiences Explained. Retrieved from Discovery News: http://news.discovery.com/human/-neuroscience-explains-near-death-110923.html Stump, S. (2012, July 19). ‘I was home’: Former skeptic shares glimpse of heaven. Retrieved from msnbc: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/48242202/ns/today-books/t/i-was-home-former-skeptic-shares-glimpse-heaven/#.UCExsU1lROI Williams, K. (2010). The NDE and Spirituality. Retrieved from Near Death: http://www.near-death.com/experiences/research07.html

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    LLU essay 5

    • 424 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Becoming aware and optimistic regarding death is the first step in becoming knowledgeable of an…

    • 424 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Life After Death Essay

    • 1611 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Of all human stages of development and transition, none of them has profound effect and overwhelming disturbance as death. The surviving members of the deceased’s family and other close loved ones are always at a loss and the grieving that ensues thereafter is of untold emotional torment (Sherman et al., 2003). On the spiritual perspective, death is mourned with the recluse and thought of continuance of life after death. Death is increasingly being viewed as a rite of passage and is not a finality as previously perceived in the preceding ages of our current generations. However, this perspective is speculative in nature for there is no living human being that has marched on with the personal study of the afterlife and come back to life in human…

    • 1611 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Nvq 3 Nursing Care Unit 81

    • 1437 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Although each person reacts to the knowledge of impending death or to loss in his or her own way, there are similarities in the psychosocial responses to the situation.…

    • 1437 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    References: Fadiman, A. (1998).The spirit catches you and you fall down. Frrar, Straus and Giroux : New York…

    • 1604 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Although each person reacts to the knowledge of impending death or to loss in his or her own way, there are similarities in the psychosocial responses to the situation. Kubler-Ross' (1969) theory of the stages of grief when an individual is dying has gained wide acceptance in nursing and other disciplines. The stages of dying, much like the stages of grief, may overlap, and the duration of any stage may range from as little as a few hours to as long as months…

    • 782 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    A religious experience is an outward encounter with something divine also known as God. This experience is set apart from any other experience as it is based on religious context. It is the contact of feeling something far greater than one’s self “connection with holiness”. It seems to happen at any time and it is described as likewise being in ‘another dimension’- as one perceive themselves unaware of their surroundings; feeling as if it happens directly outside the body- in a spiritual realm- given the name “supernatural event”. There are many types of religious experiences that were once very rare and are becoming more and more frequent amongst believers of many faiths and non-believers. During this period of time people feel loved, joyful, peaceful and blessed and other times gain some ultimate truth concerning life as well as, by and large, alters and changes behaviour and attitudes. According to some scholars in view of religious experiences humans cannot fully understand or are not yet equipped to explain the experience and as a result this is where the complex issue lies, posing a question on whether experiences are reliable, credible and are valid in terms of understanding human nature and Gods nature.…

    • 2438 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Margaret S Stroebe and Wolfgang Stroebe (1993) Theory Research and Intervention, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press…

    • 1281 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    In the first chapter we discuss people’s awareness and overall anxiety with death and dying. American’s were not always so detached and afraid of death as we are now. According to Mr. John D. Canine 150 years ago it would have been quite different to experienced the death of a loved one. He says, “He or she was attended by family members and visitors—including children—were welcomed. Family and friends were expected to speak “last words” to the individual and frequently witnessed the cessation of breathing, relaxation of the body , and loss of skin color” (Canine). Now days we do not see this same intimacy with death. People are afraid to be near a dead person. Afraid they may “catch death”. A lot of times people are in the hospitals surround by technology and maybe a handful of family members in the time the prior to their passing. We believe so much in the preservation of life that we sometimes forget that life does and will end and we try, and try, and try to prolong life so much so that sometimes we end up doing more harm than good. In this day and age Death…

    • 1475 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Hodgson vs Minnesota (APA Amicus brief to court) By age 14 most adolescents have developed adult-like intellectual and social capabilities including specific abilities outlined in the law as necessary for understanding treatment alternatives, considering risks and benefits, and giving legally competent consent…

    • 1423 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Multicultural Items

    • 665 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In American culture, we treat death as being placed in the ground. As a society, we do not believe in ghosts, spirits or our ancestors coming to visit us from beyond the grave. This is, however, the belief of the…

    • 665 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Near Death Experiences refer to a lucid awareness of one’s own consciousness, and often a greater universal consciousness, separate to the physical body, in a time when the body is technically dead or dying.…

    • 2663 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Best Essays

    Death is one of the few experiences shared by all humankind. In her groundbreaking book, Death and Dying, Elizabeth Kubler-Ross begins her book with a discussion of Western man’s fear of death and dying and by pointing out that this subject has become, for many individuals, a taboo. Kubler-Ross (1969)…

    • 1918 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Best Essays

    A near death experience (NDE) is a term that was originated by Dr. Raymond A. Moody in his bestseller Life After Life, a book that has revolutionized the way many people see death (Morris, 1; C. Tan 1). According to Moody NDEs are visions of the afterlife that must happen to an individual under the conditions of one of the three following circumstances: being pronounced clinically dead; are close to death due to traumatic injury; or descriptions of visions seen by a dying person and later described by someone who is present (12). These visions are similar to fingerprints in the fact that no two are exactly the same (Moody, 17). However, there are many common characteristics such as: feelings of quiet and peace; strange noises that have been sometimes described as “disturbing” or even “peaceful”; beautiful being(s) of light that are often religious figures, but not always; dark winding tunnels that are usually cylindrical; intense flashbacks that play back the person’s entire life in order to “provoke reflection”; being greeted by family members or friends who have passed…

    • 1781 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Life After Death

    • 493 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In a recently published article called “’A’ Is for “Absent’” by Chris Piper a proofreader for The University of Texas at Arlington who wrote about how enrolling in a course which he dreaded to do but decided to take the course anyway to complete now rather later. Piper initially received high grades on almost all projects. Being absent ultimately caused him to drop ten points and he ended with a final grade of a “C” due to his absences. Piper “admittedly feels like he earned the grade that was given to him at the time”. He also admits the syllabus clearly states what would occur if he missed more than the allotted “freebies.” He feels as though if he’s receiving great grades on test, quizzes etc… he shouldn’t be penalized for his absences. Piper feels like as long as he’s paying for his education he should be able to do what he likes as long as he maintains high scores.…

    • 493 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    When there is no light, no sound, no smell, no taste, and hardly even the ever present sensation of gravity, we come the closest to experiencing our own deaths. The feeling is indescribable. Some chase it, others run from it. Some never experience anything after. The lack of sensation makes your inner voices scream, louder than anywhere else, any other waking moment…

    • 424 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays